Shoe-treeing apparatus



June 19, 1934. o. YOUNG SHOE TREEING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Julie 24, 1932 INVENTOR BY 0% 17 225 JQ m June 19, 1934. O YOUNG 1,963,482

SHOE TREEING APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I v INVENTOR I Patented June 19, 1934 SHOE-TREEING APPARATUS om Young, Newark, N. 1., assignor to The ChaDal Donner Corporation, Newark, N. L, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 24, 1932, Serial N6. 619,060

1 Claim.

'10 operations, including ironing operations.

A further object of this invention is to provide in connection with a treeing apparatus, a novel form and construction of shoe supporting tree having expansible portions to smoothly stretch the shoeuppers and .firmly support the same subject'to various operations. v

A further object of this'invention is to provide in a shoe treeing apparatus expansible shoe tree members and means to actuate the same through the medium of. air or other fluid under pressure.

Afurther object of this invention is to, provide a shoe treeing apparatus comprising a plurality of :tree carrying arms radiating from a common support and rotatable about said support; and

l 5 also to provide means for independently rotating the trees about the axis of the supporting arm serving the same, so as to dispose a shoe supported thereby, in various positions best calculated to serve the operators conveniencewhile performing various finishing operations thereupon.

A'further object of the invention is to provide in a shoe treeing machine in which a plurality of trees are carried by radial revolvable arms, and in which. the trees are expansible by fluid pressure, a'novel means for serving fluid underv pressure selectively to the several trees from a common source. v

A further object of theinvention is to provide in a shoe treeing machine of the kind described, means for detachably. mounting the trees in connection with the supporting arms therefor. I Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly. enumerated, will be disclosed in and by the following detailed description of thesame. I w

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the; accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the novel shoe treeing apparatus according to this invention; Fig. 2 is in' part a side elevation and in part vertical section of thesame drawn on an enlarged scale, and with-parts broken away; Fig; 3 is a detail vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 3 -3 in Fig.12

and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, taken on line 44 in said Fig. 3. I I

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above-described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the reference char acter 5 indicates the pedestal of the machine, which preferably comprises an upstanding column. Secured within the upper end of said pedestal is a bearing block 6 provided with an upwardly and exteriorly projecting neck member '7. Formed in the outer portion of said neck mem ber 7 is an internally threaded stufling-box chamber 8, and downwardly extending from the bottom of said chamber 8 is a bearing socket 9 of reduced diameter, and arranged to form an annular seating shoulder 10 intermediate said chamber and socket. The reference character 11 indicates a tubular journal sleeve, having intermediate its ends an annular seating flange 12. Thelower end of said journal sleeve 11 is rotatably mounted in said bearing socket 9, with its seating flange 12 engaged or seated upon said seating shoulder 10 at the bottom of said stufling-box chamber 8. The upper end of'said journal sleeve 11 projects exteriorly from said stufling-box chamber 8. A delivery conduit or pipe 13, leading from any suitable source of supply of fluid under pressure, enters the interior of the pedestal'5 to extend upwardly therethrough for connection with said bearing block ,6 in communication with the bore 11' of said journal sleeve 11. A suitable packing material 14 is packed into said stuflingbox chamber 8 above the seating flange 12 and around the tubular journal sleeve 11, said packing material being retained in place by a keeper member 15 which is engaged around said sleeve ll and threaded into the upper end of said stuffing box chamber. Said packing material 14 "establishes a fluid tight joint between the bearing block- 6 and said journal sleeve 11 which is rotatably mounted therein. Secured to the upper free end of said journal sleeve ll is the hub portion 16 of a turn-table 1'7; said hub portion 16 having in its lower portion a cavity 18 to receive said neck member '7, in suchmanner that the underside of said turn-table 17 abuts a suitable anti-friction packing 19 which is supported in an annu1archannel'20 formed in the external end' face of said bearing block'6. Threaded intotheupper' end of said journal sleeve ll is an upstanding central conduit-or standpipe 21, to the upper end of which is secured a coupling fitting22-having a plurality of :radial horizontal outlet arms to i which are respectively loo connected a plurality of branch conduits 23 fitted with elbows 24 to angularly dispose their free end portions to a downward inclination.

Afiixed to said turn-table 17 are a plurality of radially extending bearing brackets 25. Rotatably mounted in said bearing brackets are the journal portions 26 of tree anchor blocks 27. Secured to each tree anchor block is a handwheel 28 whereby the same and the tree member coupled thereto may be independently turned about its vertical axis. Extending axially through said tree anchor block is a duct 29, and threaded into the free end of said journal portion 26 of each tree anchor block is the lower end of an axially rotatable fluid delivery pipe 30 which extends upwardly into connected communication with a branch conduit 23, being coupled thereto through a stufling-box coupler 31, whereby the delivery pipe 30 which is turnable with the tree anchor block and tree attached thereto, may turn relative to said branch conduit, and yet be joined to the latter by a fluid tight coupling connection. A collar 32 suitably fixed upon the lower end of each delivery pipe 30 to abut the upper end of an adjacent bearing bracket 25 retains the assembly against longitudinal displacement relative to said bearing bracket and to said branch conduit 23.

Shoe tree elements of the apparatus are provided for detachable connection with the tree anchor blocks 27. Each said tree element comprises a shank and heel member 33 which is made of wood or other suitable material, and to the upper end of which is suitably secured a coupling block 34 engageable with a tree anchor block 27. The toe portion of the tree element comprises an inflatable hollow body 35 suitably joined to the shank and heel member 33. Said inflatable body of said toe portion is preferably made of a resilient material such as soft rubber. Said shank and heel member 33 of the tree member together with the coupling block 34 thereof is provided with a duct 36 alignable with the duct 29 of the tree anchor block when coupled to the latter. Extending angularly from the lower end of said duct 36 and communicating therewith is a sleeve 3'7 which extends to the juncture of said toe-portion 35 with the body of said shank and heel member 33 is provided. The outer end of said sleeve is internally threaded. An intake thimble 38 is secured to and through the adjacent wall of said toe-portion 35, being retained in place by a keeper nut 39 threaded onto the exterior end thereof. This exterior end of said intake thimble 38 may also screw into the internally threaded end of said sleeve 37, all whereby said inflatable toeportion is coupled in communication with said delivery pipe 30 and the ducts 29 and 36. It will be obvious that the detailed structure thus described as making up the tree element is subject to more or less wide variation, the only essentials being that the tree element possess an inflatable toe portion suitably connected in communication with the various passages through which fluid under pressure may be delivered thereto at will.

The means for detachably connecting a tree element to a tree anchor block may comprise a suitable releasable coupling device. Illustrative of a satisfactory means for this purpose, the tree anchor block 27 is provided at one side with an oil-set-depending lug 40 terminating at its lower end in an inwardly up-turned hook-flange 41. The coupling block 34 of the tree element is provided at a corresponding side with an outwardly projecting down-turned lip 42 which is engageable in interlocking relation to said hookflange 41. On the opposite side of said tree anchor block is formed a hinge knuckle 43 to which are pivotally connected a pair of parallel links 44. Pivotally mounted in connection with and between the free ends of said links 44 is a latch member 45 having a latch nosing 46 and an actuating handle 47 On the opposite side of said coupling block 34 is formed an outwardly offset depending latch-lip 48. When the lip 42 is interlocked with the hook-flange 41, and the tree element brought into axial alignment with tree anchor block 27, the links 44 are swung downwardly and the latch member 45 is turned to engage the nosing 46 thereof beneath the latchlip 48, thus firmly pressing the coupling block 34 into meeting relation with the tree anchor block 27, so that the tree element is securely interlocked thereto, and with its fluid ducts or passages in communication with the fluid delivery ducts or passages of the apparatus. In 'order to assure a fluid tight joint around the meeting ends of the ducts 29 and 36, the meeting end of the coupling block 34 is provided with a countersunk seat 49 to receive a packing material 50, and the meeting end of the tree anchor block 27 is provided with a boss 51 to enter said seat 49 and compress the packing to establish a sealed joint surrounding the ducts.

In order to control the admission of fluid under pressure to the inflatable portion of the tree element, a rotatable control valve or cock 52 is mounted transversely of the tree anchor block 2'7 to intersect the line of the duct 29, said valve or cock 52 having an external handle 53 for manipulation thereof. By means of said valves or cocks communication of fluid under pressure may be independently controlled at the will of the operator with respect to each of the several tree elements with which the apparatus is equipped.

In the use of the apparatus, tree elements, suitably corresponding in size to the size of the shoes desired to be operated upon, having been mounted in connected relation to the tree anchor blocks, the shoes in turn are mounted upon the F tree elements, with the inflatable portions 35 of the latter inserted within the toe end portions of such shoes. As the shoes are thus mounted on the tree elements, the operator opens the valves or cocks 52 whereupon fluid under pressure (such @595 e. g. as compressed air) is delivered into the inflatable portion of the tree element, thus expanding this portion within the shoe interior so that it fully and completely draws the heel portions of the shoe into firm contact with the heel portions of the tree element, while at the same time firmly pressing outwardly the toe portions of the shoe so as to firmly and smoothly engage the same to the tree element. When sufficient fluid has been admittedto the inflatable portions of the (1'35 tree elements to accomplish these results, the operator closes the valves or cocks 52 thus imprisoning and holding the inflating fluid within such inflatable portions of the tree elements, to thus maintain the desired support of the shoe. It will be obvious that easy and rapid manipulation of the shoes to mount the shoes on the tree elements is facilitated when thetoe-portions of the latter are deflated, and yet when inflated, a full and firm filling out of the shoe interior with stretching effects sufiicient to assure removal of wrinkles, puckers, etc. is attained, and the pressing of the shoe to desired shape is accomplished. While the shoes are thus supported upon the apparatus, various finishing operations can. be

performed thereon with a maximum of ease and efficiency. There are many special finishing processes in vogue in various factories according to the particular styles of shoe and kinds of finish used. The turn-table being rotatable and carrying in radial relation thereto a plurality of tree elements, the turn-table may be revolved so that one shoe may be Worked upon while another is drying, this being of considerable advantage when shoes are being washed, oiled and otherwise dressed in connection with finishing operations. When the surface of the shoe has been fully restored, the shoe may be ironed upon the tree element to give it perfection and permanent form. Rubbing over with the warm or hot iron is a very important and careful process, and is greatly facilitated by the use of the apparatus of this invention, since, by reason of the inflation of the tree portions, various parts of the shoe upper, such as vamp, tip, facing, back stay, etc., are all smoothly and firmly drawn and solidly backed by the tree element, and con sequently very efiiciently supported for the ironing operations and so as to eliminate risk of the formation of wrinkles, bulges and similar blemishes. element is uncoupled and removed from the tree anchor block, thereby immediately deflating the toe-portion of the tree element, and thus greatly facilitating the withdrawal of the latter from the shoe without risk of straining or distorting the latter. p

I am aware that various changes could be made in the herein described constructions, and many widely different embodiments of this in- When the shoe is finished the tree vention could be made without departing from the scope thereof; it is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:--

In a. shoe treeing'apparatus having a turntable and a support therefor, bearing brackets having inclined bearing apertures therein mounted on said turn-table, tree anchor blocks having journal portions turnably mounted in said bearing apertures, shoe tree elements detachably connected to said tree anchor blocks, said tree anchor blocks and said shoe tree elements being turnable about inclined axes determined by the inclination of said bearing apertures whereby shoes held by said shoe tree elements are conveniently presented for working thereon, each of said'shoe tree elements having an inflatable toe portion, said tree elements and said tree anchor blocks having alignable ducts leading to said inflatable toe portions, a central stand pipe connected with said turn-table and with a source of fluid under pressure, inclined branch conduits in communication with said stand-pipe, rotatable inclined delivery pipes respectively connecting said ducts in communication with said branch conduits, handle means for turning said shoe tree elements about their inclined axes, and valve means for independently controlling the supply of fluid from said delivery pipes to said inflatable toe portions.

' OTTO YOUNG.

All 

